STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The National Hurricane Center's final report on Hurricane Sandy states that the borough's East Shore recorded the storm surge's citywide high-water mark.

"The highest direct measurement of inundation was 7.9 feet above ground level, obtained from a seed line found on a door frame of a house in the Oakwood neighborhood of Staten Island," the report noted. The exact address of that home was not available, and it's likely they were referring to Oakwood Beach, which includes the land closest to the water and east of Mill Road.

Statistics were provided for four other other Staten Island neighborhoods: The "inundation level" in Tottenville was 5.5 feet; in Dongan Hills, 4.7 feet; in Arrochar, 2.5 feet, and in Prince's Bay, 1.0 feet.

For comparison, the report notes that two measurements made in the Rockaways determined the water level there to be 5.4 feet above ground level.

The Hurricane Center also confirmed its initial conclusion that Sandy was no longer a hurricane when it made landfall just north of Atlantic City on Oct. 29. The center officially described it as a "post-tropical cyclone" that featured hurricane-force winds.

Two Staten Island wind stations were cited: The top speed was recorded at PS 32 in Great Kills: 64 knots, or 74 mph. The other station, PS 53 in Bay Terrace, recorded a speed of 59 knots, or 68 mph.

Among other factors, a storm is certified as a hurricane -- or considered to still be a hurricane -- if it has sustained winds of 74 mph or more. "The classification of the storm carries significant implications for home and business owners, as well as insurers, since most hurricane insurance policies have deductibles that would have been triggered only if the storm still had been a named hurricane at the time of landfall, and if hurricane warnings were in effect," the Associated Press reported.

Elsewhere, the highly technical report acknowledged the widespread death and devastation in the borough, noting that some media reports referred to the borough as "Ground Zero." ---Follow @siadvance on Twitter